The origin of Santa's sleigh according to Jack
by Jocose
Summary: Christmas is coming and Jack has a new tall tale or is it? .Characters: Jack, Suzie, Owen, Toshiko. Set before Everything changes.


Jack stood on the landing to the autopsy room, watching as Owen poked and prodded at a mangled assortment of rubbish, that had apparently managed to find its way through the rift.

Picking up one end of a tangled mass of ribbon, he shook it experimentally and waited as fragments of multicoloured confetti, dropped into the metal tray he had been using to hold it.

"What do you think?" Jack asked, then waited as Owen grimaced, dropped the soggy mess back again and looked wearily up at him.

"There are traces of something that did definitely come through the rift, but," he paused, then prodded the mess once again with his finger, "I doubt all this came with it, probably just landed in the residue and then soaked it up."

"So it's exactly what it appears to be?" Jack persisted, clearly wanting to be sure.

"Yeah," Owen sniffed and pushed the tray to one side. "Bog standard rubbish, in fact," he added, glancing up at Jack, "I'd go so far as to say, that whoever it is this lot belonged to, they're as crap at tarting up presents as I am."

"Really?" Jack stared in amazement at the contents of the tray, "That bad?"

"Oh yeah! Which reminds me... Suzie around?" Owen asked, turning away from the table and glancing through the glass door of the fridge to check on its contents.

Jack grinned, "I take you have something you need wrapping up?"

Owen nodded and turned back towards Jack, "Yep, how did you guess?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe it's the memory of the last gift you gave to Toshiko!"

Owen winced and shrugged his shoulders, "It wasn't that badly wrapped, it's Tosh, she's weird about stuff like that."

Jack shook his head in disbelief, "Owen! It looked like it had been run over by something!"

"She sat on it!" Owen protested.

"I saw it when you brought it in, it looked like that then!"

Owen sighed, "Much as I hate to change the subject, but is there any chance of getting some extra help around here? That bloody incinerator's got it in for me," he said, then went and picked up a clipboard and began working his way through an information sheet, ticking the relevant boxes, a bored expression on his face.

Jack laughed, then turned away, heading in the direction of his office.

**. . . .**

Toshiko sat idly watching as information kept updating, she yawned, it was always the same this time of year, as soon as the office party season kicked in, so did reports of flying saucers- well not just saucers, cigars, horses, assorted bicycles (to date, this included two mountain bikes, a penny farthing and a tandem).

Suzie hovered hopefully, "Anything interesting?" she enquired.

Toshiko shook her head, "I wish!" she replied, automatically glancing at the list as it updated yet again. "Oh great!" She grumbled, taking a sip from her drink, "Guess what we have now... a sleigh."

Suzie smirked and leaned closer to get a clearer look at the list, "Wonderful! How many reindeer this time?"

"That makes a change," Toshiko answered, peering at the screen, "None."

Tutting, Suzie sighed, "How on earth do they expect anyone to believe them, when there's no reindeer? How's it supposed to get off the ground?"

"How's what supposed to get of the ground?" Jack enquired, as he passed them on the way to the stairs.

"Sleigh with no reindeer," murmured Toshiko absently, as she concentrated on the display from another screen.

Jack spun on his heels and moved quickly back, leaning over he asked, "Where?"

"Somewhere over the docks I think," she responded vaguely.

"I'll go and take a look," he said quickly, then seeing their surprised expression, added, "Just to be sure."

"Sure of what?" Suzie asked, puzzled, "Whoever it was who saw it must have been totally blitzed!"

Jack smiled to himself, then turned away from them, "All the same," he said, "I feel like a little fresh air... coming?"

Suzie shrugged, put her coffee mug down onto the table and nodded, "Yeah, why not."

Jack was already halfway across the hub, heading for the garage. "Send any information through to the SUV will you Tosh?" He yelled back, then sprinted into the armoury and through the access doors into the garage, the door slammed noisily shut behind him.

Suzie paused, then glanced back towards Toshiko, "You want to go instead?" She asked, clearly hoping that Tosh would say yes.

"Nope, I think I'll pass, if it's all the same to you," she replied, took a slow, lazy, sip from her drink and leaned back in her chair.

Sighing, Suzie turned reluctantly, then followed Jack towards the garage.

**. . . .**

The SUV lurked in the shadows of one of the sparsely utilitarian buildings, that were scattered across the docks. Jack and Suzie sat in silence, the only light from a display on the dashboard as it cast a cold blue light across their faces.

Suzie leaned back in her seat, then glanced across at Jack, as he pushed open the door and leaned out, so he could check the expanse of sky directly above them.

"So what exactly are we supposed to be looking for?" She enquired, leaning forwards slightly and looking through the windscreen and upwards towards the occasional distant star.

"Ever wondered about the origins of Santa Claus?" Jack murmured, turning so he could check another stretch of sky.

"Not really, it was Saint Nicholas wasn't it?" She said vaguely, at the same time wishing that they were back in the warm confines of the Hub instead of sitting freezing their arses off for no good reason.

"Yeah well, that's what they like you to think," he grinned, then slammed the door closed. "Cold night!"

Suzie really wasn't in the mood for yet another one of Jacks tall tales, but maybe if she encouraged him a little, he would get on with whatever it was he wanted to tell her and then they could get back to civilisation and warmth.

"Really?" She said, attempting to sound intrigued.

Relaxing back in his seat, Jack nodded, he knew Suzie well enough to be able to tell when she was genuinely interested and when she was humouring him, glancing over at her he was in no doubt which this was!

"Very interesting race called the Atnas, all thumbs," he said, nodding towards her, "Literally," he added, as she burst out laughing.

"You seriously expect me to believe that!" She said, shaking her head, "Atnas?"

Jack attempted to look offended that she didn't believe him, "What's wrong with it? No odder than human! I'll have you know they are delightful, just a bit clumsy."

"You mean they're all thumbs and thumbs," she giggled.

"Well why else do you think they came here? This was the nearest planet with inhabitants capable of helping them," he said, wriggling his fingers, as if to prove a point.

"Helping them?" She asked, amused, "I know I'm probably going to regret asking this, but... helping them to do what, exactly?"

"Helping them to wrap up presents, for their Sualc festival- what else?" Jack said, his voice as matter of fact as he could manage.

Suzie giggled helplessly, waving a hand at Jack to try and stop him from saying anything else.

"It's true!" he said, a hurt expression on his face, "Why would I lie?"

Fighting to keep a straight face, Suzie took a breath and pursed her lips, looking straight at Jack, she said, "So... you're telling me, that we are out here, looking for a sleigh, that belongs to a cack- handed race called the Atnas, who need help wrapping their Sualc presents?"

"Yep."

"Right! Well, maybe you should have warned me, I would have brought some ribbons and paper with me," she said, leaning forward and flipping open the glove compartment, "Although luckily for them, we do seem to have a very decorative collection of parking tickets, assorted sweet wrappers and," she paused, then grabbed something and held it up, "A roll of sellotape!"

"You mean we won't be able to send them away happy?" Jack asked, in mock concern.

"Depends really, would something wrapped in parking tickets float their boat?"

"You never know," Jack responded, grinning.

"Don't suppose they would be willing to wait until I get back to the Hub would they? Only I'm freezing my bloody arse off here."

Suddenly puzzled, Suzie turned slightly, giving Jack a suspicious look, she said, "Hang on a minute, so your telling me that a visiting alien, knew all about reindeer and sleighs?"

"Well...." Jack thought for a second, then glanced over at Suzie, who clearly thought he had talked himself into a corner, "They didn't have reindeer, just a sleigh... well not exactly a sleigh-the humans who first spotted them only saw the landing gear of their ship that wasn't hidden by a cloaking device."

"Really?" Eyebrows raised, she added, "And the yo ho ho and the bells would be...?"

"Dodgy maintenance, I told you...."

Suzie nodded, "Yeah I know, all thumbs."

Jack laughed and started the car engine, "Definitely! Looks like they may have found someone to help and left anyway."

Suzie smiled and fastened her seat belt, "Do me a favour."

"What?" He asked, slipping the SUV into gear and steering wildly, as he attempted to get it to perform a three point turn.

"Don't tell me that we got Santa's name from them, because they left a letter of thanks and a gift," she said, giving him a warning look.

Jack snorted in an attempt to stop himself from laughing, "Wouldn't dream of it," he said, then added, "Although oddly enough they do write from right to left," then stamped quickly on the accelerator, sending them hurtling off towards the Hub.

Darkness enveloped the lights of the SUV as it sped away, then silence slowly settled over the docks once more.

High above Cardiff stars blinked softly, partially lighting a familiar outline as it moved across the sky. The sound of sleigh bells jingling, nudged at the silence. As the craft climbed higher, it's occupant's deep friendly laughter faded away.

Somewhere across the bay a church clock chimed in the new day, then a new hour.

One solitary bedroom light clicked on, then another and another, tiny flashes of light slowly spreading across the city.

_**Happy Christmas everyone.**_


End file.
